Art at De Durgerdam

At Aedes we believe a place can tell a story, and sometimes that story is told through art.

At De Durgerdam, nearly a hundred carefully selected works quietly reflect the village’s spirit. Each piece feels rooted in the place, as if it has always belonged here.

Here, yesterday meets today. A 17th century painter shares a wall with contemporary voices, and the result is effortless, like neighbours greeting each other along the dyke. Some works echo the building’s history, others speak to its present chapter. Through painting and photography, the palette remains natural and gentle, allowing the architecture and light to lead.

Past Meets Present

Durgerdam itself shaped these choices, with big skies, soft light and open horizons. Nothing shouts, everything breathes. The art does not show the village literally. Rather, it holds its feeling: still moments at dusk, the haze over the water, the calm rhythm of shore life.

There are subtle nods to history, a whale bone and two works referencing the past, and gentle ties to nature, like pressed flowers and leaves gathered nearby. Across rooms, recurring themes of water, sky and light return in work by artists whose voices echo the land. Some pieces hint at landscapes, others rest in abstraction. Together, they create a calm balance between structure and intuition, stillness and change, memory and presence.

The intention is simple: art that settles naturally into its surroundings. Each work sits comfortably within the architecture, the materials, the tones and the soft afternoon light filtering through the windows. Curated with care, this collection offers a subtle new beginning that honours where it came from, unmistakably De Durgerdam.